37 Best Japanese Restaurants in Pasadena

“I'm not too much a fan of fries these days, but the chicken was incredible! I wish the wasabi flavor came through a bit more, but it was all really good. Very nice owner and employee, great experience all around. A bit expensive for me, but so is everything in Pasadena. They seemed to go really hard in on the branding and I hope it pays off!!“

“I recently dined at a sushi restaurant in Pasadena. It's conveniently located close to public parking, which was a plus. The sashimi combo was excellent, and the side dishes complemented the meal perfectly. Overall, it was a great dining experience.“

“Had a great meal here. I have gluten allergy and was worried they didn’t have anything gluten-free because the menu online didn’t mention it. However, I called and the person I spoke to was amazing and knowledgeable about the options. There were not tons but enough that there were things I could eat. I had the Bento box and they were able to adjust it so everything was GF. That did come with a hefty surcharge but it’s worth it to me to know it’s all safe to eat. Sashimi is also an option however nigiri and rolls are not because there is soy in the rice.I’ve knocked down my review because there are plenty of Japanese restaurants that fully accommodate gluten allergies and I’ve been told by chefs and owners that at this point it’s not hard to do.Dietary restrictions: Gluten-free options but next extensive. The nigiri and rolls are not GF as there is soy in the rice (as of the time of my review)“

“The sushi here is seriously awesome. It's prepared right in front of you if you sit at the bar/counter, and the taste, and smell is to die for. This is one of my absolute favorite sushi places in the area. Everyone is very warm and friendly, and welcoming. It has a cozy feel to it. Trust me, it will be worth your time!“

“Probably the best place I've tried sushi. Large portions and excellent prices. As a fairly big guy, I was pleasantly surprised that I couldn't finish two regular plates. The service is top-notch. My best wishes to this establishment“

“ABSOLUTELY the BEST ramen I have ever had!!! The service is amazing, the fried pumpkin... off the hook!!! Spring rolls, yaaasssss!! I had the King Ramen...whoaaaaa! Daaaaammnnn!! You will NOT be disappointed. Thanks to the owners for the great experience.“

“Passed by this several times. I decided to go in last night and I had a great time. I ordered the mixed tempura, shumai and the ribeye with spicy broth. I loved everything. The service was on point, as soon as we were about to enter, the waiter was getting our settings ready. The waitress made sure we had everything we needed.“

“You guys, this place is awesome! Our party of 6 tried several things from the menu and everything was fantastic. Our bottle of sake was awesome and so was the service. This is a cozy romantic darkly lit space that you should definitely try! Nadia was our server and her recommendations were on point. We can't wait to come back for date night! Be prepared to drop some $$$$ but it's worth it!“

“No frills teriyaki spot. The entrance was confusing. It looks like a glass storefront but it's an automatic sliding door that isn't very sensitive or quick. So you need to stand there and then it will open after a short delay. Service was quick, food was decent. Price is fair for Pasadena.“

“As many times as I've eaten here and for take outs, it has been consistent with the freshness, flavor, and service. I had foods for take out for my mum's birthday. She doesn't like to leave for many places so I'm bringing the food to her. I got her the ichima roll, rainbow roll, and the yellowtail delight. And for myself I got the agedashi tofu, baked green mussels and the baked salmon roll. Everything was packed very well and it was still warm when I got home. Everything was delicious!! I would highly recommend their food. It's fresh and delicious!! Service was excellent. They got it all right!!“

“OMG! Soooo Gooodddd! Don't go anywhere else, this place is legit, and it's tasteful. 100 percent quality teriyaki done right, not over cooked, or undercooked. No scrappy meat, or odd ball rice and noodles. Very good tasting and very delicious from beginning to end.I am definitely saving this spot and will be coming back for many more! Parking is a challenge, so order ahead or plan it right to get your food. Other than that, the lady this morning was extremely helpful and courteous for a 1st time visit that superseded my expectations!Thank you!!“

“Apparently the spot in Pasadena!! I was meeting up with some clients for work at Caltech, and they recommended this spot on the corner. It was just a few blocks away from campus, and seemed to be pretty popular with students on a given weekday. Inside, our server got us to our tables and welcomed us with water and miso soup. She was super friendly and gave us plenty of time to order :). I went with the katsu lunch combo, which also came with california rolls, and mac salad. It tasted great, with the katsu being very crunchy and the mac salad being the perfect complement to the meal. I thought the California rolls were great too!“

“SUGARFISH really knows how to do the sushi game. The food is always so fresh and delicious. This is the third different location I’ve been to in this local chain and the service and quality of food is consistent. I almost always get the Nozawa omakase and I did this time as well and each course was presented beautifully that tasted great. If you don’t mind a wait because they don’t take reservations then you should definitely give this place a shot.“

“i love it here so much i been coming since i was like 11 n im 21 now i love the staff's polite attentiveness the chefs are very sweet, my food is always 10/10 they just never miss everything is always delicious and fresh every time n such a beautiful ambiance i hope theres a go go's in heaven“

“I'm not a huge fan of Thai food but I really enjoyed every dish we ate here. We ordered their papaya salad, larb, green curry with brisket, and eggplant delight. You can adjust the level of spiciness for each plate. We asked for medium heat for most but that was a bit spicy for some of us. Service was fast and friendly. There is plenty of parking in the lot.“

“Ordered a delivery and was very happy with the food. I liked the vegetable and cucumber-avocado Maki. Didn't love the miso because it was lacking the miso flavor and the seaweed, it reminded me of meat stock (I hope it was vegetarian!), but all the other things were good.“

“I wish I could post a comment without a review as I still have never managed to come by here for a meal and found them open.... BUT, big PSA they do not serve meals here anymore. No lunch service and only izakaya snacks in the evening. Sad as I was really hoping to try what looked like real, affordable Japanese casual dining. :(“

“really crafted delicious rich ramen broth.the chasu pork meat is tender, smoky and marinated well! one of the best ramen place in California.Hope they will have a place here in Torrance! We will definitely go back. Oh the mochi ice cream rocks too!.“

“The atmosphere is really good! How they great you at the door is awesome. They have really quick sushi rolls and the presentation is beautiful. I only rated the food a four because they recycle a lot of rolls what I mean by this is the menu is basically all the same with one change to a roll here and there. I think more flavor options and diversifying the menu would serve wonders. It wouldn’t keep me from this place, the classics are always good“

“As someone from Osaka, I can confirm this is a Japanese restaurant with home style dishes and legit kushikatsu (of which is a bit lighter due to less batter and more panko crusted instead). We went on Valentine's Day for a special meal and it was packed. Service may be a bit more relaxed than one may be used to, so please be patient and enjoy the thoughtful hospitality and cuisine. Their unagi yanagawa (simmered eel with strips of burdock root covered in egg) was very comforting and tasty. Thank you for the delightful and memorable meal.“

“I went with my family for dinner. Our server, Marcelo, was very attentive about our needs and wants. The food was very tasty, but it took a while for all of the food to come out. My grandpa’s beef teriyaki was also all gristle, very tough and chewy. However, they brought out a new one free of charge for us that was much better. Overall it seems like they’re still getting their footing, but still just as solid as the previous location.“

“Yes Sushi was a lovely experience. My friend and I went around 6:15-6:30 which is the perfect time because it was only my table and other table being served. First you are greeted by lovely little women who are more than willing to answer any questions you have about the menu. My friend ordered the Sunkissed roll which was good but I love my sushi a bit more loaded and saucy so I got the Dynamite Roll and it was perfect. I can rarely eat one roll in one sitting but I devoured this one. Delicious and filling! Ambiance was simple and nice as well. Service was fast and servers were kind, checking up on us a few times were different workers. No complaints, can't wait to return“

“The mediocre reviews here are surprising. This is a great neighborhood spot with generous cuts of high quality fish. Service can be slow if they're busy, but it's not for lack of trying. We've ordered take out a few times and dined in once; it's been consistent each time. Fair prices, too. Just solid all-around. Sometimes, I wonder if US customers just can't appreciate simple, high quality sushi. After Komasa closed, we've searched all over for a good replacement, and Noda + Noshi are the best we've found in terms of quality and value.“

“So so good! From the spicy tuna, to the crispy tuna rice, fried tempura , miso soup, spicy edamame , yum and more yum! The service is good, but expect to wait, they can get super busy. Fortunately, you can get in the waitlist via Yelp..big plus! The place is nice and airy and feels relaxed yet vibrant!“

“Indulged in Korean-Japanese cuisine, from Mentaiko Pasta to the crispy Bossam Chicharon board. The Spicy Pork Bao and Salmon Crudo were a perfect balance of savory and fresh. And to complement the fusion of flavors, sipped on refreshing Mount Yoshino, Peach Lemon Drop, and Mix N Matcha cocktails. Everything was flavorful and cocktails were all unique with pretty presentation!“

“I gave this location a try on Friday. I was the first one. My takeout order came out pretty quickly. It took 10 minutes. I ordered a spicy one and it had some kick to it. I wish the portions were a little bigger. Fortunately, I ordered a side item to help fill me up. For the price, I would say, it is above average... but not as good a value as Curry House when it was still around.“

“I’ve been going to Gyu-Kaku for 9 years now and boy have the prices progressively gone up. Happy Hour is maybe 1$ cheaper than regular prices and not much of a happy hour.It’s disappointing to see as I used to go to gyu kaku every weekend, my favorite being the Topanga mall location. Now it’s maybe once every other month, my friends feel the same, They’ve been growing and raising their prices even before how bad inflation is now.Anyways I will still always love gyu kaku, this particular experience was okay. We ordered 2 yaki shabu’s, 1 filet mignon, sukiyaki bimbimbap, and the chicken karage. The yaki shabu portions looked smaller than usual especially for the price and the chicken karage was exceptionally dry and over done.We still felt a bit hungry afterwards but we felt it wasn’t worth the price and didn’t order more. Gyu kaku is definitely somewhere you need to go atleast once for anyone whose never been,the food and meat always tastes so good! But the prices just aren’t worth what you’re getting anymore sadly.Vegetarian options: They have plenty of rice bowls, cooked vegetable options you can grill or order as small plates, replacements, highly recommend for vegetarians!“

“The food was delicious. I do wish there were a bit more portions for the dinner portions on the emperor steak. My family just finished attending the 54 halloween shows from the pasadena convention center. The service was okay. The waiter took forever to get our appetizer and it came during when our food was already there. The ambiance was good and clean.“

“I've honestly never had a bad experience here and am a hugeeeee sushi lover! Their rolls are delicious and there is a wide variety of them. Love the special truffle sushi roll! Service has always been friendly and fast. Good to come here if you want a casual, quick sushi experience + all the yummy appetizers.“

“Teriyaki chicken is always tasty, specially when I order it without teriyaki sauce. The beef has a unique taste texture for me , but it's pretty good also. California rolls and baked salmon rolls are tasty as well. The prices here are pretty reasonable and decent size portions. I usually get my order to go but the place is usually nice and clean. Will definitely continue to make it a routine spot !“

“This food place is awesome! I have visited the Caltech area for one week and fell in love with this place! Seriously, the food is always fresh and the salads are amazing! The service is pretty fast and the people were very friendly and helpful. You get a good variety of choice! I will definitely come back here. Also, EarthquakeSim the YouTuber was there! ?Parking: Plenty of parking space“

“Confused about the quality control here. Seems pretty inconsistent. The first time I ordered from Yuzu I got dry pot takeout. The food was perfectly cooked and well flavored, and prepared quickly too. Pricey but tasty and stretched into two modest meals. Smooth online order experience. Since then I’ve ordered the same thing (overcooked with dry noodles, much saltier and spicier than last time—restaurant didn’t get my order in time so I had to wait an extra 20 min, portion was smaller). I’ve also tried the pork rice (very sad and bland) and the last time I tried to order they cancelled saying the item wasn’t available (custom dry pot isn’t available for ordering? No way.) Staff is nice and apologetic but they don’t seem to have a good system for online orders and quality control. I’d recommend you sit down at the restaurant if you want to try their food, and avoid DoorDash at all costs. Hopefully they can figure it out.“

“The food is great!! Been going to Shoguns for 24 years now! Have seen all the ongoing changes to the restaurant but the food always was great! Love the shrimp, teriyaki chicken & steak, fried rice. We like to add the chile paste to the pink sauce The best servers are Rika & Stephanie! They're very friendly & welcoming. Chefs Anton, Daniel, Suki & Tri are awesome chefs. Food favorable“

“Solid teriyaki spot. The teriyaki and curry options are all delicious. Try the ABC burger with Swiss cheese. It's amazing!Been coming here for probably 20 years or more. Unfortunately I don't live in the area any longer but any time I happen to be in the area this is one of my go to spots.“

“Taking my adult daughter's birthday. We had a blast! The food here is always magnificent.Vegetarian options: Plenty of vegetarian options.Kid-friendliness: Very kid friendly.Parking: Tokyo wako validates parking. This was Paseo Pasadena Mall underground garage.Wheelchair accessibility: Elevators, and escalators available.Dietary restrictions: Plenty of options for people with dietary restrictions.“

“Been here many times and can say that food is pretty consistent. I've sat in the bar, the lounge, outside, inside, but I recommend sitting at the sushi bar. The service is direct and instant, not so much for the rest of the place. The staff has its ups and downs, I mean people are people, so ymmv there. Weekdays and early evenings provide the best ambiance. I try to stay away from opinions on the food since taste is subjective and I'm not Elmer Dills or Jonathan Gold. If you have no idea who either one of them are you have probably TicToc'd or Shorted most of your dining experiences. I do believe the cleanliness has slipped and there is not the attention to detail there once was. It's not filthy or anything but they used to keep it spotless and the staff and management were always on top of things. Overall Sushi Roku is a good option for the area. Good sushi is expensive and I'm willing to pay for it however I may consider other options for a nice night out. I've moved out of the area and driven back for this place but I'll consider other spots next time.“

“Came here earlier then my friend. And the waiter was super polite and friendly. He was chill about me waiting for my friend since they weren't busy. The food was amazing. Delicious and quick to come out. The layout of the food was beautiful and impressive. Will come back.“